Portland Trail Blazers Projected Starters (26-8)

What to watch

1. Do the Kings pull together or fall apart?

After a few spirited debates between Kings players during Saturday’s loss to the Bobcats, Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins called a players’ only meeting on Saturday to air out some differences. The general feeling around the team is that the meeting was productive, but there’s no telling how this team responds against a tough Portland team.

2. Will the Kings defend the perimeter?

The Trail Blazers can flat out fill it up from behind the arc. They are leading the NBA in 3-point percentage (40 percent) and 3-point makes (352) and rank second in attempts with 883. If the Kings sag, Lillard, Matthews, Batum and Mo Williams will burn them to the ground.

3. Cousins vs. Aldridge

This game matches two of the league’s most talented young big men against each other. While Thompson will start out on Aldridge and Lopez on Cousins, this game may come down to which All-Star hopeful big man has the most productive game.

About: James Ham

James Ham is the senior editor of Cowbell Kingdom, providing extensive Kings coverage through news analysis, in-depth interviews with players and staff and daily coverage of breaking news since 2010. Along with providing original content for the site, including the Cowbell Kingdom Podcast and his weekly Sunday Musings column, James also contributes to ESPN.com and is one of the producers behind the award-winning, independent documentary film "Small Market, Big Heart".

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About CK

Founded in 2009, Cowbell Kingdom is a member of the ESPN TrueHoop Network. Its goal is to provide frontline, on-the-ground coverage of the Kings that leads to interesting and thought-provoking discussion amongst readers.